I’ve mentioned this before, part and parcel of posts on other issues, but I think it’s time to look at it on its own. Too many cooks are labouring under a misconception about how to prepare a pan for frying and that’s a shame, because the solution to their frustrating problem is really very simple…
Shallow Frying is a third technique, more akin to Deep Frying than it is to Pan Frying.
You use about half an inch of Oil. It’s the classic method for frying Chicken.
You can also do small batches of French Fries, Onions Rings or Doughnuts…
Every day, millions of cooks across North America make a series of mistakes that result in their fried foods turning out disappointing. Or even inedible. Lets look at the key points to preparing your pan to fry successfully…
Temperature of the Pan…
For frying or searing, the pan must be pre-heated to medium high. You can’t just turn on a burner to ‘medium high’ and start cooking, though. Allow at least five minutes for the pan to pre-heat on an electric stove element, a couple of minutes on a gas flame, before adding any fat or oil.
Cast Iron is the material of choice for your go-to frying pan. Its mass and the material itself ensure even hat distribution and consistent heat. But you can fry in any pan. Just get to know your pan and how it handles hat…
Fat/Oil considerations…
For frying, you must use a high-temperature fat or oil to avoid burning. Peanut, Sunflower, Safflower, Vegetable or Canola Oil are all good. Butter should never be used for cooking at temperatures above medium. The Milk Solids in it will burn every time. Olive Oil is also unstable at higher temperatures.
When frying, add cold Oil or Fat to the pre-heated pan to ensure that foods will not stick. Let it heat up for only a minute or so and brush the Oil or roll the pan to ensure the bottom of the pan is evenly coated before adding food. I don’t know why, but this rule just works.
Here’s a little Chef Cheat for you: If you really love the taste of Butter, you can use half Butter and half Canola Oil to raise the temperature at which the Butter will burn…
Cooking non-stick…
It’s important to prepare your food properly for frying. A classic three-stage breading process is always your best bet for pan frying coated foods. Battered foods should always be deep-fried.
When frying un-coated foods, such as Fish Fillets, Steaks or Chops, it is important not to crowd the pan. Lots of room between pieces will allow all to develop a nice caramelization which contributes a major amount of the flavour to such foods.
Stir Frying is a totally different thing…
Stir Frying is a high-heat process in which foods are cut into small pieces so they will cook quickly.
I use Canola or Peanut Oil for Deep Frying and Stir Frying. They have the best resistance to burning.
When Stir Frying, it is essential to keep the food moving so it doesn’t burn. You also have to add foods to he pan in order, from those that take the longest to cook to those that take the least time, so they all come our properly done at the end. A Stir Fry dish should take no more than 90 seconds to cook.
Remember… Stir Frying is as much an art as a skill. Don’t despair! You’ll have to practice a lot before your Stir Fry dishes come out perfectly every time!
And that’s the low down on frying
Just remember: “Hot pan. Cold Oil. Foods won’t stick.”
Maggie J.